18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY, HISTORICAL TREKKING, AND LONG TERM SURVIVAL.

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18TH CENTURY LIVING HISTORY IN AUSTRALIA.

Sunday, 7 August 2011

The Early to Mid 18th Century Woodsman & Woods Woman. Who & what they were.

The Early to Mid 18th Century Woodsman & Woods Woman. Who & what they were.From here on I will refer to this persona as a Woodsrunner, which covers both genders. The woodsrunner was a person with certain skills that enabled them to survive with reasonable comfort in the woods & forests. Today we call this combination of skills & crafts woods lore. Not all woodsrunners came from the same mould, not all had that “brier in the eye” look. Daniel Boone by all accounts was a very skilled woodsman & a decent human being that would rather make friends with the woodland Indians than cause them any harm. But was Boone a typical woodsrunner of the time?Our aim is to interpret the lifestyle of the common woodsrunner, but in doing this we also want to be as good as we can be in regard to woods lore knowledge. Even so, we are individuals, just as they were 300 years ago, & it makes sense that some of us may be better at some things than others are. So this is our quest then, to learn as much as we can & to practice these skills, this lifestyle as much as possible in the time that we have. Our quest in fact then is to become a woodsrunner.

So what did the woodsrunner wear? Well typically they wore a workman’s frock to protect their other clothing. Their clothing consisted of a shirt and breeches or a breechclout, a weskit/waistcoat, neckerchief, a broad brimmed felt hat with a low crown. Leather woodland Indian style leggings and woodland Indian moccasins. A leather belt went round the waist though this could also be a woollen sash. This belt or sash secured a hunting knife, a tomahawk/axe, possibly a flintlock pistol, and a belt bag for carrying flint, steel and tinderbox and possibly other items as well.

In winter they may wear stockings, woollen mittens, a half-blanket or even a French capote or a frock coat. If it is very cold they may also wear two shirts or a woollen shirt, and two weskits. Whatever it takes to stay warm.

There is no evidence to show that they ever carried more than one blanket, summer or winter. But the woodsrunner knows how to stay warm with only one blanket. Rolled up in my blanket I have a spare woollen weskit, a woollen shirt, and a woollen Monmouth cap. These items of clothing are for wearing on cold nights.

The woodsrunner could take a variety of jobs that they were well qualified for. Militia duty fell to every male between 16 and 60 years of age. Ann Bailey was also known to accompany the militia. Rangers as they were called were hired to range the surrounding country round settlements, looking for sign of any enemy. Couriers, hunters, scouts, trappers, all needed to be skilled woodsrunners. Even traders such as Mr and Mrs Pentry were woodsrunners. But many were also farmers and land owners like Boone.

Thanks for sharing the list and the thoughts behind what you carry. It give me the chance to compare and contrast it with the stuff I lug around and see if there is a way to lighten the load!

I noticed you listed a pistol. I have found that a second "quick shot" can come in handy from time to time. Where do you carry yours? What kinds of load do you use in it? How do you clean and maintain yours?

Sorry Martin, wrong list! I do carry everything else, but not the pistol. This list was a reccomendation from another article I wrote. I did carry a pistol in the Territory many years ago though, & simply carried it stuck under my belt. I found this to be the safest place. Pistols are prohibited here now in NSW, unless one belongs to a pistol club, & then you can only use one on the club range.

Many thanks Keith for this very informativ post which helps me a lot. I'm still in the process of making my first woodrunner outfit. Since it could be very cold and rainy here in Norway I decided to make a capote from a HBC blanket, but didn't know if it is period correct. Your post gave me the answer. :)

Norsk. There are many items that various personas may own & use, but it depends on where they are from & what period they are in. A French woodsrunner is more likely to wear a capote than an Englishman, but on the other hand he could have taken it from a dead French man, or he could have traded for it. He may have a French or Indian wife who made him a capote. So long as you research & make sure it is possible, no problem.Using a Hudson Bay blanket may depend on the date of the particular style, for instance if it has stripes, was it available in your chosen period? How did your persona get this blanket? etc, etc.

Hi Keith, I've been working on a generic New England Militia Impression for the last few months. I'm considering what to do for an oil cloth, I haven't really found any information on 18th century oil cloths. I'm thinking linen canvas painted with a linseed concoction. Any suggestions?

Lindseed oil will aventually rot the canvas due to the acid content. You can add a brown coloured oil base paint to nuetralise the acid.This type of oil cloth can be heavy, & sticky.A friend of mine purchsed some "dry as a bone" stockman's coat material & gave it to me as a present, & I am still using it. Before that I was using a plane light cotton canvas with no waterproofing & it worked well. My younger son has it now.I did use a lindseed oil cloth for many years, & repaired the tears as they appeared. Personally, I recommend you use a plain canvas or one like I use. Even in a heavier material it is not likely to weigh more than a lindseed oil one. My friend purchased the material from a lady at a market, so I can't say where you can get the "dry-as-a-bone" one from. Perhaps if you contact the manufacturers.Regards, Keith.

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Settlers.

"I noticed particularly, one family of about 12 in number. The mancarried an axe and a gun on his shoulders. The Wife, the rim of a spinningwheel in one hand, and a loaf of bread in the other. Several little boys andgirls, each with a bundle, according to their size Two poor horses, eachheavily loaded with some poor necessities. On the top of the baggage of one,was an infant rocked to sleep in a kind of wicker cage, lashed securely to thehorse. A cow formed one of the company ,and she was destined to bear herproportion of service - a bed cord was wound around her horns and a bag of mealon her back. They were not only patient, but cheerful and pleased withthemselves with the expectation of seeing happy days beyond the mountains"Diary of Presbyterian Rev. David McClure.18th century.

What is Living History?

What is Living History?Living history makes history come to life. To do this members emulate different sorts of people from history. These can include blacksmiths, seamstresses, housewives, farmers, woodsmen and woodswomen. We wear the clothes of the time and learn and use the life and trade skills of the period.What period of history does the NECLHG re-enact ?Approximately 1680-1760 on the New World Frontier.Why this period of history and why a New World lifestyle and not Australian?The New World was settled much earlier than Australia and enables us to choose from a larger variety of nationalities, occupations and skills. All of these options make the activities more fun.Australian settlement was in a later period and founded on a penal colony. There are other re-enactment groups for people interested in the Australian colonial period.Is joining NECLHG expensive?No. There are no membership fees for the group. The activity is only as expensive as you want it to be! Many members make all their own period style clothing and equipment. This is an ideal activity for people who like to make things and be creative.What if there are some items I can not make myself or I am too busy to make?You always have the option of buying or trading for items. People who want to purchase their clothing and equipment can do so; there are many specialist suppliers. Also you can trade for items you can not make .Can my family join this group?Yes we are very family oriented.What is experimental archaeology?This is the term used when someone makes and uses a period tool or item. This can be anything from lighting a fire with a flint and steel to building and sailing a ship on an original route! It is the only way to really discover how things were done “back then”.What is historical trekking?This activity is trekking and camping in an historically accurate manner. People on a historical trek wear the clothing of the period and carry and use only the equipment used in that period. These treks are a great way to learn woods lore and survival skills.What sort of “period skills” can we learn and practice?You can learn and use any skill that was used in the period you reenact. For the mid-18th century these include spinning and weaving on a loom, finger weaving, tomahawk throwing, fire lighting, blade sharpening, leather making and leather working and much, much more.Is the NECLHG a gun club?No. Some on our members may carry a period gun on treks and camps as part of their persona. These guns are flintlock muzzle-loading antique guns or copies. The highest level of safely is maintained at all times. Guns are not carried loaded and all gun carrying members are licensed.What about women members?In the 18th century women performed many traditional and non traditional roles. There were women blacksmiths, naturalists, artists, and woods-women. Some accompanied militia on scouts . In the NECLHG a women can be what ever she wants to be!What about children.?Children are always welcome. Naturally children are the responsibility of their parents. Children really enjoy the living history activities and skills. It is a wonderful way to learn history and it makes their school based history a lot more meaningful. Also children can learn bush craft, survival skills and camping skills.